Weston business helps out community and environment

Rani WiseSpecial to the Crier

Monday

Sep 7, 2015 at 4:03 PM

Headquartered in Weston, Pure Solutions is dedicated to giving back, both to the community and the environment.

Growing up in New England, the fondest memories of co-founders and cousins Brian Whittemore and Trevor W. Nelson were of being outdoors. However, ticks and mosquitoes were always a nuisance, and over time, their concern over the health risks posed grew.

When the two learned of the additional negative long-term side effects on the health of their families, neighbors and the environment caused by commonly used pesticides, they knew they had to make a change. This was an old industry that needed new ideas, innovation, and an environmentally driven approach.

“As entrepreneurs, we can never be satisfied with the status quo. We are always focused on innovation,” agreed the cousins.

The cousins’ story began when Whittemore was in high school, and he saw the opportunity to provide a maintenance service on equipment being sold in his father’s hardware store. Nelson saw the potential of what Whittemore was doing, and together, by 2005, they had created the foundation that would eventually become Pure Solutions.

The tradition of a family-business based in Weston began with Whittemore’s great, great-grandfather, B.L. Ogilvie, founder of the nearly century-old lumberyard, hardware store, and propane filling station, Ogilvie’s.

Locally, Pure Solutions provided PROGAEA Tick & Mosquito sprays throughout the Friday Night Flicks in July at the Weston Town Green, gave away 100 free tick keys at the Rotary Club of Weston and Wayland’s Pooch Parade, raised awareness about Lyme disease by joining the “Take a Bite Out of Lyme!” challenge, and participated in Soul Cycle’s “Ride Out Lyme Disease” to raise money to support the Dean Center at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.

Pure Solutions also joined the Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts in 2013, which focuses on building a Massachusetts economy that is local, green and fair.

PROGAEA is National Organic Program (NOP) compliant, making it safe to be applied around children, pets, and delicate plants, with no aquatic toxicity.

A study published in The Journal of Medical Entomology found that PROGAEA Tick & Mosquito was almost as effective as bifenthrin, an insecticide.

Pure Solutions employees monitor Center for Disease Control (CDC) studies on Lyme disease, and they know their tick facts.

“Some may speculate that cold weather and heavy snow would kill off local tick populations, but the Earth is great at retaining heat,” said Nelson. “Through the winter, snow will actually act as a blanket to insulate and further retain the geothermal energy stored beneath Earth’s surface. Ticks take advantage of this, and will burrow as low as possible under leaf litter and become dormant. When the snow melts and temperatures become warmer, the ticks reactivate. That is what makes late winter and early spring the perfect time to begin treatments around yards, playing fields, and commercial businesses.”

While Pure Solutions is celebrating 10 years, the past three years in particular have marked great progress. Since 2012, the number of employees has more than tripled, translating to an increase of over six times the amount of acreage serviced, with the business serving over 1,000 clients.

“We will continue working to increase our presence throughout the Northeast, not only for the safety of the communities we reach, but also the environment we live in,” said Whittemore. “We will launch innovative new services that align with our core values and mission to provide eco-friendly service alternatives to families in hopes of sustaining the communities we serve for future generations.”